A Masterclass in Playing House
But he couldn't quite remember where he had heard it. When Demian had brought it up, Yunjae had only half-listened, assuming it was just more talk about Kadmus, so there was no way it would come to mind now.
"Now, darling! Welcome home!"
And Eriel didn't give him any time to think. She immediately dragged him into a game of house!
"I'm home! How is our little Domian doing? Goodness, he must be going through puberty. He won't even greet his father!"
Of course, being max-level, Yunjae adapted to playing house in no time.
"..."
Sitting across from Taejun in his office, Mari remained silent for a long moment. Just being face-to-face with him felt suffocating and unpleasant,
"Have you given it any thought?"
and more than anything, the conversation they were about to have made her deeply uncomfortable.
"No. Not yet..."
Consequently, Mari looked uncharacteristically small and withdrawn. The way she wrung her hands anxiously made her look almost like Suyeon before she had met Yunjae.
"Please don't be so tense. I didn't call you here to pressure you. Whatever you decide, I will respect your wishes, Mari Rose."
Sensing her discomfort and the pressure she was under, Taejun took a step back. Though her long years as a hunter made her seem prickly and blunt on the surface, she wasn't actually like that. According to the reports he had received since she started working at the company, she was actually a very warm-hearted person.
While she still didn't seem particularly fond of office work, she appeared to get along with everyone quite naturally. Seeing how she had grown close to the youngest employee, Miju—not to mention Akemi and Suyeon—it was clear she didn't lack social skills. That was likely why Yunjae leaned on her so much as well.
"At any rate, how is office life treating you?"
Fortunately, Mari was the type of person who was highly susceptible to emotional attachments, so keeping her around wouldn't be difficult. Most people who had scraped by as low-rank hunters for a long time craved stability and belonging. Taejun was currently in a position to offer her stability, and he could easily foster a sense of belonging through the people around her. Winning her over would be simple. The better he treated her, the more burdened she would feel, but in the end, that very burden would ensure she could never leave the Blast Guild. Especially as more time passed.
"Well, I don't really do much. Yunjae handles most of the work, so I mostly just pass the time. Sometimes I wonder if it's really okay for me to be sitting around like this."
"Im Yunjae really is an extraordinary individual. To think an ability user of his caliber would prove to be just as capable at office work. I never imagined Department Manager Kim and Department Manager Woo would end up fighting over him."
"Pfft!"
At that, Mari let out a chuckle, her tense expression softening for the first time.
"It's because he's a dummy. He should know when to slack off, but he always tries to do everything himself."
A trace of pity flickered across her face.
"Though I suppose it makes sense, considering he was all alone for fifty-seven years..."
Was it because she had started wearing skirts and makeup for her office job? She seemed far more feminine than she had just a few days ago. Even back then, Taejun had thought she would look pretty if she dressed up, but now, the thought of her being genuinely beautiful came to him first. And the reason for her rapid transformation in such a short time was obvious.
She's in love with Im Yunjae.
Even without using his mental abilities, it was written all over her face.
"In any case, because of that, the other employees seem to be relying on him a bit too much. I plan to assign him a separate task soon."
"That's a relief. Those women were working him to the bone. It was getting ridiculous."
Even the Marketing Department had jumped in! When a person is too nice and gentle, everyone just tries to take advantage of them.
"...Though I suppose I'm not much different from them."
Did she realize that she was doing the exact same thing by negotiating with Taejun using Yunjae as leverage? In that moment, Taejun caught a glimpse of anguish on her face. It wasn't a performance; she was genuinely feeling guilty and tormented. Perhaps this was precisely why Yunjae relied on her so heavily. Though she had been hardened by the harsh realities of the world, her core nature was still gentle and kind.
"But you and Im Yunjae get along wonderfully, don't you? I understand you're living together and helping him adjust in many ways."
"That's just a nice way of putting it. In the end, I'm just clinging to him. Like a parasite..."
Mari hung her head low.
"I doubt that. Im Yunjae is someone who yearns for an ordinary life. I don't know the exact details of what he went through, but he longs for the simple, everyday experiences that normal people take for granted. Just having you by his side is likely a source of great joy and meaning for him."
For once, Taejun offered a piece of genuine, heartfelt comfort that contrasted with his usual calculating demeanor.
"...Thank you."
While she was grateful, a sudden wave of anxiety washed over her.
This man... he sees right through Yunjae.
That was the problem. While Yunjae was infinitely superior in terms of raw power, he was no match for Taejun when it came to interpersonal manipulation.
Still, maybe he's not as bad as I thought...
He was cold and overly focused on profit, but perhaps having someone like him around wouldn't be the worst thing.
"Well, I certainly hope that's the case."
Regardless of Taejun's hidden motives, Mari's own perception of Yunjae was much the same. He was an incredibly selfless person—so much so that she sometimes wondered if someone like him could truly exist in this world. He found joy in the smallest things, always smiling and laughing with a bright, pure perspective that brought a sense of healing to Mari just by being near him. But because she was always on the receiving end of his kindness, she genuinely wanted to do more for him.
"Um, Guild Leader."
"Yes, go ahead."
"About the offer you made before..."
As Mari, having finally made up her mind, prepared to decline,
"Take some more time to think about it. A matter of this importance shouldn't be decided so hastily. After all, your life and your future are on the line."
Taejun cut her off, preempting her refusal.
Your life and your future. Few people could remain steadfast when confronted with such heavy words. Taejun assumed Mari would be no different. He believed that, in the end, she would prioritize her own life and future over her goodwill toward Yunjae. And just as he expected, Mari hesitated. The way she wrung her hands again betrayed the intense conflict raging inside her.
"Even so... I believe Yunjae should do what he wants to do. He has his own life and future to think about, too. So..."
But she possessed a stubborn integrity that went far deeper than he had anticipated.
"I'm going to decline. I've lived at the bottom for so long anyway, so a grand future wouldn't really suit me."
To her, a future built on forcing someone else to do something they didn't want to do held no value. Hearing her final decision, Taejun's face blanked in brief incomprehension. He had assumed that despite her soft heart, her long years of struggling at the bottom would have made her highly pragmatic. Why on earth had she made such a choice?
For a split second, he considered applying some realistic pressure to change her mind, but
"That is perfectly fine. I respect your choice."
he chose a different path. Both Mari and Yunjae were far too human. In a way, they were the exact polar opposites of someone like him. Therefore, they couldn't be bound by the methods he usually employed. Trying to force them would only trigger a backlash and drive them away.
"You've spent a long time agonizing over this, so why don't you take a short break?"
By framing it this way, he made her feel grateful instead of pressured. His interpersonal skills truly were a masterclass in manipulation.
"I've already rested plenty. I just hope that new assignment comes through quickly."
"I think you'll quite like it. It will be much more active than office work."
She had half-expected him to turn cold the moment she rejected his offer, but his continued warmth left her thoroughly confused. She wondered if he actually, genuinely cared about them. Mari looked at Taejun with a fresh gaze, but even so,
Let's not trust him completely just yet!
her survival instincts, honed by years of scraping by, sounded an alarm. It might have been unnecessary paranoia, but the world was not a gentle place, and Taejun, sitting at the very peak of it, was certainly no pushover.
"Well, I should head back now."
"Ah, Im Yunjae should be taking a break outside. Why don't you go get some fresh air with him?"
Mari paused at the unexpected suggestion.
"Pardon?"
"A brief escape from the exhausting grind is the ultimate office romance, after all."
Mari couldn't help but burst out laughing. She had been wondering where Yunjae had vanished to after the clash between the Marketing and Support departments, and it turned out Taejun had sent him outside with those exact words.
"If you'll allow it, I'll do just that."
"By all means."
With a soft chuckle, Taejun nodded. Mari bowed politely and stepped out of his office.
"...Whew."
She let out a long, heavy sigh. She still wasn't entirely sure if she had made the right choice. After all, you only live once, and everyone else was desperately clawing their way up to secure a better life.
"No wonder I'm still stuck at the bottom."
Having just thrown away a golden ticket to change her life, she shook her head and walked over to the window. She scanned the grounds outside for Yunjae. She wanted to run out, whine that this was all his fault, and demand some comfort, but she could never actually say those things to him. Still, she knew that just seeing his face and sharing a laugh would put her mind at ease.
"There he is."
He was always so easy to spot. Spotting the owner of the floating title Slender Forearms in the park below, Mari felt a wave of relief wash over her as she stepped into the elevator.
"Hmm."
Looking at her reflection in the elevator mirror, she smoothed down her hair and adjusted her clothes.
"It's just basic grooming!"
Even though no one was watching, she felt a sudden flush of embarrassment. Muttering excuses to herself, she stepped out of the building. As she approached the park,
"Eriel! Why are you doing this to me?!"
she heard Yunjae's voice, sounding surprisingly dramatic and intense.
"Huh?"
And then,
"I'm keeping Domian! We're getting a divorce!"
a sharp, high-pitched girl's voice rang out.
"No! I can't accept this! I'll do better, I promise! Please don't do this!"
Yunjae's desperate, pleading voice echoed once more.
"